A true literary case that received the prestigious recognition of the Strega Prize. “M. The son of the century” is the novel with which Antonio Scurati triumphed in 2019 by telling the story of Benito Mussolini’s rise to power. The television miniseries which debuts on Sky and which is inspired by the book promises to create just as much debate, and it is no coincidence that it has been talked about for some time. Discovering the locations of this drama means taking an authentic tour of Italy that includes Rome, Naples, Friuli, without forgetting the Cinecittà studios, but above all Caprarola (province of Viterbo). The village of Tuscia is among the protagonists of “M. The son of the century” since it is one of its main monuments that hosted part of the filming, Palazzo Farnese. It is one of the main examples of Mannerist-era homes that is worth knowing more about.
A construction that lasted one hundred years
It is not the first time that Palazzo Farnese, in Caprarola, has been used for films and documentaries, in the case of “M. The son of the century” has lent itself perfectly as an emblematic house of power. His story, on the other hand, could not go unnoticed. Its construction dates back to 1530, following precise instructions from the Farnese family from whom it takes its name. It was a stately home with defensive characteristics typical of its era. It was in fact a fortified residence, cared for down to the smallest detail by Antonio da Sangallo the younger on the orders of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese.
The original project, embellished with corner bastions, was radically changed in the following years following the intuition of another architect, Vignola. The pentagonal plan remained, but it was decided to transform the building into a Renaissance palace to be used as a summer residence. If we also add the creation of the garden, the works were completed exactly one century after the laying of the first stone, in 1630.
Houses and TV series: the buildings that served as outdoors for the great successes of the small screen
Endless frescoes
The charm of Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola, among the main locations of “M. The son of the century”, stands not only on the outside – with its pentagon shape and the circular courtyard in the center – but also in the sumptuous interior. The house is practically divided in two, with a summer area to the North-East and a winter area to the South-West. Near the kitchen and warehouses there was a helical ramp to allow a package to send confidential messages to the lower floors.
The mezzanine floor is known as the “Piano dei Prelati”, rich in frescoes and characterized by the so-called rooms of the seasons by Vignola. The circular courtyard is made up of two overlapping porticoes, while above the mezzanine floor is the noble one, with the aforementioned summer and winter areas. It is here that it is possible to admire the cardinal’s bedroom (better known as the “Chamber of Dawn”), the room of Fasti Farnesiani with other precious frescoes and the Antechamber of the Council.
Finally, you cannot fail to visit what is considered the most representative room of all in the entire Palazzo Farnese, that of the Geographics or the Globe where the frescoes by Giovanni Antonio da Varese are located.
